Abstract
Male supervisors' reactions to women in male blue-collar jobs contribute to understanding women's under-representation in those jobs. Using data for utility employees, we examine supervisors' reactions to women assigned to typically male plant jobs during a strike of unionized workers. Sex stereotypes led supervisors to reassign many women to more traditionally female jobs, thereby limiting supervisors' opportunities to test their stereotypes about women's ability to do male jobs. We then assess the contact hypothesis: did supervising women in sex-atypical jobs weaken supervisors' stereotypes and lead to more favorable attitudes toward women in plant jobs? Our findings provide mixed support for the contact hypothesis. They also point to several ways that organizations can minimize the effects of stereotypes and thereby enhance women's integration into male blue-collar jobs.
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